Shakespeare in Love

Tonight is trick or treat night in my neighborhood. I already knew I wasn't going to be giving out any candy. I actually even forgot about the fact it was trick or treat until I got home from work and the cars began to line up along my street. Like from a Cheech and Chong movie, all the kids from within the overly stuffed minivan poured out onto the street with their various store purchased Halloween costumes. Then I remembered.

It was a somewhat warmish afternoon when I got home today and since the sun was still up I thought I'd leave my front door open. That wasn't going to last very long. Because at exactly 6:00.01 p.m. someone was knocking at my door. Then, 6:00.03, the doorbell rang. I ignored it. The character from Scream shuffled off my front porch to another neighbor. As soon as he left, I shut my front door and turned up the stereo. Again, the doorbell rang a few minutes later. Um, hullo....there is no porch light on. Isn't that the first rule of trick or treating???

I really love Halloween. But, I cannot stand the fact that greedy kids and/or parents have to truck their kids into my neighborhood for candy. And, did they even bother to eat dinner since the kids are knocking precisely at 6:00???

Whatever happened to creating a costume? My dad and I looked forward to making up some weird costume for me to wear. One year, way back in the 70's during the energy crisis, I dressed as a bum. My motto that I wore on my chest? "Save energy, become a bum." Yea, it won me a prize at a Halloween party! When I was older, I won another prize as part of the three headed huntsman from Monty Python and won most recently for my portrayal of Nancy Spungeon. You know, dead girl friend of Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols? I remember what was probably the most creative costume my dad and I ever came up with. I dressed up as a hurricane. We tiedyed a dress of my mom's all brownish. I think I wore a hat too. Probably had leaves and sticks attached to it. I don't remember that part. I don't think that won me any prizes, but it was pretty clever!

I must finish up my costume for a party I am going to this weekend. The theme of the party is Shakespeare. I have no one particular character in mind, just dressing for the time period. Invariably someone will say to me "who are you supposed to be?" I hate that question. So, I'll prey on the fact they probably have no inkling about Shakespeare characters in the first place and just say I'm Desdemona. I love that name. And Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about Desdemona. Besides, she resourceful and imaginative and got to marry Othello.

One of my current classes at school has given me quite a bit of reference material for the Shakespeare time period. Well, the Shakespeare time period but only in Italy. You know those proverbial cone hats with the sheer material that hang out the point? Yea, not authentic at all.